A Sussex police officer, Richard Hession, has been dismissed for engaging in “inappropriate activities” with a female coworker.
PC Richard Hession, 44, kissed his colleague, referred to as Officer A, in a “unwanted and unsolicited” manner.
On a separate occasion, he was discovered in a hotel room with the same colleague while she was inebriated and had sent a message requesting assistance, a panel was informed.
Sussex Police stated that officers were anticipated to conduct themselves with the “highest integrity”.
The revelations occurred during PC Richard Hession’s appearance at a four-day misconduct inquiry at Sussex Police headquarters on Monday.
On 5 August 2021, the hearing revealed that the Brighton officer kissed the colleague on the neck, which was deemed “unwanted and unsolicited.”
On 11 May 2022, he escorted Officer A to a hotel and reserved a room when she was significantly inebriated, according to the panel’s testimony.
The hearing revealed that she messaged a colleague for assistance, who discovered her unwell in a hotel room with PC Richard Hession.
The panel determined that the officer’s conduct violated the Standards of Professional Behaviour, constituting gross misconduct.
A Sussex Police spokeswoman stated that he was terminated without notice and added to the College of Policing Barred list, so precluding any future return to policing.
Det Supt Jon Robeson, deputy head of the force’s Professional Standards Department, stated: “Police officers must conduct themselves in a manner that does not discredit the police service or undermine public confidence, regardless of whether they are on or off duty.”
We anticipate our officers to conduct themselves with the highest integrity, adhering to the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour. We have implemented an extensive program for culture transformation aimed at confronting, reporting, and addressing unethical or unprofessional conduct.
“The officer’s actions in this case significantly deviated from the expected standards, as evidenced by the panel’s findings.”
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